The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1887-10-08
Out i'm the Far West.

ample time was thus afforded us for visiting
the various points of interest. magnificent
public building, hotels, &c, of that phenome-
nal city whose site a quarter of century ago
was covered with cactus and the short grama
grass of the region. We also called upon the
Democratic Governor of the State and the
republican Mayor of the city, both young,
progressive, broad d-gauge men, who are tho
roughly imbued with the manifold advantages
and resources of their city and State and are
earnestly engaged i'll the work of developing
them at home and making them known
abroad.
Denver is beautifully situated at the foot #
the Rocky Mountains has streets so or ~
feet wide, regularly laid out and lined with
trees on either side extensive systems of
street cars is lighted by gas and electricity /;
has excellent water work and artesian wells !;
good poiice force; well disciplined fire de-
partment-in fact everything about it is new,
modern, and of the latest approved pattern
Eighty per cent of the buildings, both public
and private, are of the latest and most orna-
mental and picturesque style of architecture :;
and the clear atmosphere and bright sunshine
OF that healthfui and inyigorating climate
seem to bring out their beauties-their cheer
full colorings and graceful shapes-in bolder
relief. Among the principal places of interest
may be mentioned the Tabor Grand Opera
House, erected at a cost Of $850,000, and which
is the finest building of its kind in America,
having but one rival in the world, the Grand
Opera House in Paris; the u S. Mint; the
County Court House-a most elegant and
costly structure, occupying an entire block
with its welEkept grounds, fountains, aqua
rium parterres, &c. the vast and magnificent
City Hall Chamber of Commerce Uniyer-
sity of Denver; st. Mary's Academy several
two and three-story public school buildings !;
ber of churches, hotels, private residences and
business blocks, any OF which would do credit
to any of the great cities of this great coun-
try.
The session of our Association lasted three
days. While it's proceedings were very inter
esting to the participants, q detailed recital
thereof here would probably prove dry read
ing. AS our readers know Mr.. A. D. White,
of West Virginia, was elected President, and
San Antonio, Tex, was selected for the next
annual meeting Our delegation was much
disappointed at the absence of Maj. K. A.
Burke, who was to deliver the grafton, and
the task of filling his place was assigned to
Mr. A. j. Lafargue, of Marksville, WHO, in a
brief paper which was very favorably com
mented upon. creditably represented the
State in the programme prepared for the oc-
casion.
On the evening of adjournment an elegant
banquet was given the visitors at the Wind
sor Hotel by the citizens of Denver 1t is
needless TO say that the repast was sump-
tuous and that everything connected with it
the floral decorations, the music, &c.-was
in keeping with the grand scale ON which
things are done in the capital city of the Cen
tennial State Among the notable citizens
master, Mayor Lee, Senator Teller, ex Senator
Tabor, ex-Gov. Routt and few other ex-gcy-
ernors, several judges, ministers IS several
denominations, and most the State officers.
EXQUISITE as was the menu, the intellectual
treat-"the feast of reason and flow of soulr-
F,ll f,ra
Senator Teller, President Jones, of Florida,
and Judge Styles, of Texas, made excel
lent speeches; but the best was by Rev.
Myron w. Reed, d distinguished divine,
late of st. Louis, who was talked OF
as the successor of Henry Ward
Beecher in the Plymouth pulpit, and who res
ponded to the toast Pulpit and Press" The
report of it III the next days papers did not do
it half Justice. The speaker who secured the
most applause, however, who brought down
the house" most frequently and with most
vehemsnce-dgnitied governors, grave sena-
tors reverend ministers and sober judges all
Joining in the boisterous demonstrations of de.
| light-was young man of %, who seemed
scarcely 49, Williams was his name, and he
hailed from Missouri and if ever an audience
was completely carried away 'eeetrified'-
his was ON that night. -
| At 7:30 the next morning the journalists
| left on special train for an excursion through
the agricultural region of Northern Colorado
| Within one mile of Greeley q stop of a hall
hour was made to visit the exposition or au
| nual fair of that section. There was d very
creditable showing of fruits, vegetables cere
| ais and other agricultural products; but the
| most interesting feature of the exhibition WAS
| the display of live stock. There were man,
| very fine specimens of Jersey, Hostein anC
| polled cattle, and of Percheron and Other
| horses, At Greeley citizens of the town wer.
| in waiting with buggies and carriages, ant
| took the whole party out driving until th,
| honr of lunch, which was provided at til,
Oasis Hotel, and which the visitors enjoyed
| as the guests of the citizens
| GreeIey is q town of about 3000 luhabitant s
| with regularly laid out streets lOo feet wide
and lined with shade trees (mostly cotton
| woods), which require constant irrigation. /
has three newspapers, three banks, q $35, ,O0
public school house, u $4,000 court house,
large three-story -four mill, several iue three
| story business houses and hotels, aud man,
| elegant residences The Town is about l.
| wears old
/ A few wears ago the prairie lands of I hi
| section, then called the Colorado desert, wer
| inhabited only by prairie dogs, and the cac
| tus was the only thing that grew on the ster
lie soil But artificial irrigation has entirel
changed the face OF the landscape. Agricul
4 tural uroducts are now obtained i'll quantit,
| and quality unsurpassed by regions more Ia
yored by nature, and vegetation on the irri
| gated fields is as luxuriant as thaton the ricl
/ est alluyial SOIL The SLOW stored up by win
i tar IN the Rocky Mountains is AN unfailin
source of water supply. Thee melting sno,
! feeds the mountain streams Throughout th
summer. These streams are tapped at or neit
i the mountains, and the water conveyed b
| means of canals to the section OF country tina
needs it, The canals, OF course, follow tn
higher elevations, and smaller aitcaes s, ar
4 used to distribute the water over the fields
Leaving Greeley at 2 o'clock p. ln visi
l was Maid to the State Agricultural and Me
4 chanical College ut Fort Collins. There wa
4 number OF young men at work with lathe
/ and other tools, and young girls experiment
ing with chemicals, but the wonder OF th
/ Mace is the model farm. The ground was Ii
eralIy loaded with mammoth vegetables. For
i Collins has about 1000 Inhabitants. Its pul
Il lie sshuol system is perfect, embracing, bt
sides the branches ordinarily taught, u XIII
q dergarten and musical department Ih
4 school buildings consist of one sinagnlhcen
structure costing so, 600 anu q large tWo,stor
building which is occupied ny solle VI tile ~
Il partments Work has been commenced on
81 $40 600 courthouse aud many other tue bull,
ings are in course of construction.
Longmont, another very pretty town OF Li
: agricultural region, was then visited. Clt
4 zens were in waiting at the depot aud th
{ visitors were driven in carriages ana Duggit
J to various points of interest. very hl
glew is obtained here of Longs peak, one
the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountain
Longment was laid out in March, 1871. I'D
early settlers were an educated. class OF pei
pc and knew the value OF education IN i
elects upon civilization. About the first I
tne movements inaugurated by the colon
i was the establishment oil o public school. I'll
sehool was opened IN June, 1871, with sixtee
pupils. At the fall term following, one hui
dred pupils were enrolled. A graded scho
!, was established, aud during the fall GerI
! last year. it employed seven teachers aud ha